Rahul to lead Cong dharna on drug issue in Jalandhar on Monday

Rana said Rahul was consistently raising the issue of drugs in Punjab. “When he (Rahul) raised the issue in 2012, the Akalis accused him of maligning Punjabi youth. However, the situation has gone from bad to worse as Akalis never bothered to solve it.”

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be leading the party’s dharna to be staged in Jalandhar on June 13.(HT File Photo)

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will be leading the party’s dharna to be staged here on June 13 against the drug menace and the allegedly deteriorating law-and-order situation in Punjab.

On a request by Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Captain Amarinder Singh, Rahul agreed to participate in the dharna, informed the party’s state unit vice-president and Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjit Singh, who is incharge of the programme.

Rana said Rahul was consistently raising the issue of drugs in Punjab. “When he (Rahul) raised the issue in 2012, the Akalis accused him of maligning Punjabi youth. However, the situation has gone from bad to worse as Akalis never bothered to solve it.”

Besides Rahul, all senior party leaders from the state and workers will participate in the dharna, said Rana. There was an immediate meeting scheduled to review the arrangements too, as the party is now expecting a larger crowd than the earlier estimate of 6,000.